A number of ink jet printing systems are known where there are selected, for example, aqueous inks and dye based inks. An ink jet ink can be comprised of deionized water, a water soluble organic solvent, and a colorant, such as a dye or a pigment, and where the inks can be selected for continuous ink jet systems and drop on demand ink jet processes inclusive of thermal ink jet, piezoelectric ink jet, and acoustic ink jet systems. These ink jet technologies can generate spherical ink droplets with, for example, a diameter of from about 15 μm (microns) to about 100 μm, that are directed toward a recording media at, for example, about 4 meters per second. Located within the ink jet print heads are ejecting transducers or actuators which produce the ink droplets. These transducers are typically controlled by a printer controller, or a conventional minicomputer, such as a microprocessor.
The printer controller can activate a plurality of transducers or actuators in relation to the movement of a recording media relative to an associated plurality of print heads. By controlling the activation of the transducers or the actuators, and the recording media movement, a printer controller should cause ink droplets to impact the recording media in a predetermined manner to thereby form an image on the recording media. An ideal droplet-on-demand type print head will produce ink droplets precisely directed toward a recording media, generally in a direction perpendicular thereto. However, a number of ink droplets may not be directed exactly perpendicularly to the recording media resulting in misdirected droplets that negatively affect the quality of a printed image.
Ink jet systems with media transports for the electrostatic tracking of media are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 9,132,673, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference.
Several advantages have been reported for ink jet printing, such as the generation of quality images at high speeds and at relatively low costs. However, disadvantages relating to ink jet printing include the misdirection of ink droplets; retaining the media like paper upon which the ink droplets are directed in a flat configuration in the printing zone; the formation of friction induced triboelectric charges between the transport belt and the platen which can cause the generation of undesirable electrostatic fields in the ink ejection area that adversely affects print quality; the plugging of the ink jet nozzles; unacceptable image blooming; misalignment of the media transport rollers; failing to achieve the precise attachment of an aligned recording media onto the dielectric surface of a transport media thus preventing the accurate motion of the recording media relative to the print heads; consistent and controlled acceleration of the ink droplets to the transport media; undesirable media transport resistivity values, and the use of environmentally damaging materials that are selected for the media transporting system.
Certain imaging systems, like ink jet, contain as materials petroleum derived chemistry components, such as for example, polyethylene terephthalates (PET). Thus, desirable is the development of green materials, such as polymers that are bio-based, sometimes even biodegradable, that minimize the economic impacts and uncertainty associated with the reliance on petroleum imported from unstable regions, and that reduce the carbon footprint.
There is a need for ink jet printing processes and systems that substantially avoid or minimize the disadvantages illustrated herein.
Further, there is a need for environmentally acceptable ink jet media transports.
Also, there is a need for media transport belts that include thereon a media, such as a sheet of paper, that moves in a specific path, and which belts also retain the media in a flat configuration.
Additionally, there is a need for ink jet media transports that possess excellent mechanical properties, desirable glass transition temperatures, heat resistance characteristics, and acceptable modulus, especially as compared, for example, to the environmentally unfriendly polyethylene terephthalates media transports.
Still further there is a need for ink jet printing systems and processes that minimize the media, like paper, curl height that adversely impacts the print head operation when the media is in contact with the print head face plate.
There is also a need for media transports, such as a seamed belt, in contact with a platen supporting substrate, and where the belt contains a bio-based component.
Yet additionally, there is a need for media transports that include a bio-based component resulting in a reduction in the carbon footprint by, for example, about 50 percent.
Moreover, there is a need for a conductive, especially a partially conductive media transport to properly track a wide range size of media while avoiding a built up of friction induced electric fields.
Another need resides in the provision of a media transport that maintains the media registration at speed, is substantially impervious to aqueous inks and some alcohols, and eliminates or minimizes static fields.
Additionally, there is a need for media transport members that contain bio-based components that can be economically and efficiently manufactured, and where the amount of energy consumed is reduced.
Yet additionally, there is a need for ink jet media transports that possess excellent adhesion characteristics between a bio-based polymer supporting layer and a conductive coating mixture, especially as compared, for example, to the poorer adhesion properties for the environmentally unfriendly polyethylene terephthalates media transports.
These and other needs are believed to be achievable with the disclosed transport media systems and processes.